Shrimp: Buyer Beware
A few days ago I had some shrimp from a large local retailer and about 6 hours later developed GI symptoms of bloating and diarrhea
Seemed consistent with toxicity and food poisoning and then by chance, even though not looking for it, the next day encountered some interesting information about the shrimp industry
Buyer Beware
Shrimp from an energy science view is a great animal food can be used for all energy patterns, in moderation for Pitta Kapha and all the time for Pitta Vata and Vata Kapha
But in my chance encounter with an article from the Nutrition Research Center it's estimated that possibly 90% of shrimp in the market come from polluted waters and in order to reduce the toxicity, antibiotics and pesticides are used in the shrimp farms The source of shrimp for the US may be from farms in eastern Asia, particularly China
In other words the quality control of these shrimp farms is highly suspect and deserves our attention
Consumer Protection
Fortuanately individual companies in the shrimp industry are publicizing their farming methods and letting the consumers know that their open water techniques of farming are caring for the animal product they send to market
But even better companies such as Whole Foods are taking an active role in ensuring not only that the products they carry in their stores are quality, go a step further in delivering that information to the consumer who's interested, and investigate if the farming techniques are in compliance with green standards
Freshwater Shrimp
There is even a US association to support the growth of the freshwater shrimp industry and support quality control measures
From an energy science nutritional perspective freshwater fish are balancing for all energy patterns so they are an excellent animal food source On top of this freshwater fish are as good a source of the important omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids as seafood and certainly would be easier to farm and harvest
What To Do
So from my food poisoning experience there has come for me some real value It might have not been the shrimp that caused my transient upset but the probability is fairly high
But this serendipitous journey has led me to understand the vagaries of food production and the potential health hazards particularly around industries that are not responsible
A few suggestions for shrimp purchases
Question the source of where the shrimp come from
Buy when you can from reputable market places
Consider freshwater shrimp or fish
Ciao until next time To health as a Skill Love DrBill
